Platform bicycle pedals are flat-surfaced pedals used on a variety of bicycles, typically for casual and mountain bike use. Here, the rider's force is only applied in a downwards direction on the pedals when cycling. Clipless bicycle pedals are intended for a cyclist to be more efficient when cycling by providing a better foot-to-pedal connection. Such pedals are comprised of special pedals and cleats, whereby the cleats are attached to the sole of specialized bicycling shoes that attach to the clipless pedals. Because the clipless pedal is attached to the rider's shoe, force is applied by pulling one pedal upwards while pushing the other downwards, simultaneously. Clipless pedals are typically used for more competitive purposes where riders aim to energy-efficiently maximize their performance, such as in bicycle races, long-distance endurance rides or competitive mountain bike rides.
While clipless pedals have many benefits over platform pedals, they are typically unsuitable for casual rides. The cleat-to-clipless pedal system works best when the rider is continuously in motion, without needing to stop abruptly. Rides that are not ideally suited for the clipless pedal systems may include bike rides in crowded urban areas or in traffic, family bike rides or mountain bike rides over difficult terrain, such as slippery or rocky surfaces. Some of these situations may be risky for riders who may be unable to disengage themselves from the clipless pedals quickly enough in the event of unforeseen hazardous circumstances. Such an instance may include commuters crossing riders' paths, who must stop abruptly and place their feet on the ground to prevent themselves from falling. Riders who fail to react quickly and appropriately in such circumstances may suffer injuries, such as a broken collar bone when falling, or injure others in their path. This is especially relevant for mountain bike riders, who may be more likely to fall and suffer serious injuries as a result of being attached to their clipless pedals when riding over difficult terrain. Many mountain bike riders who use clipless pedals, in particular amateur riders, may see a benefit in changing their clipless pedals to platform pedals in potentially hazardous situations. In other circumstances, the use of clipless pedals is simply impractical, often because the rider must wear specialized shoes that are not suited for walking. Here, platform pedals are superior, especially when the destination requires the rider to move around on foot on normal shoes.
Some riders may solve these problems by owning multiple bicycles, each with different types of platform and clipless pedals. However, bicycles that use clipless pedals are typically intended for more competitive, or endurance-related, purposes and are therefore commonly more expensive than standard commuter bikes. It is therefore not within everyone's means to own multiple bicycles for different purposes. While changing pedals is an option, it is a time consuming process that requires a specific set of tools and considerable effort. For these reasons, riders are typically unlikely to opt for this method. Alternatively, riders may choose to wear normal shoes on a bicycle fitted with clipless pedals. However, because clipless pedals are not intended for this purpose, they provide little traction for normal shoes, which will easily slip, particularly in wet conditions. Wearing normal shoes while riding on clipless pedals will result in an uncomfortable ride, where the rider may feel out of balance and insecure.
Several clipless pedal adapters have been created in the past in order to address this problem. However, such clipless pedal adapters have various drawbacks. For example, most clipless adapters are specially designed for a particular type of clipless pedal, and therefore a narrow segment of clipless pedal users. Other adapters approach a solution with a combination of a clipless pedal and a platform pedal. While this approach solves the issue of traction on clipless pedals, the device is not an adapter, but rather a modified pedal that is fitted on the bike permanently. Some of these types of clipless-platform pedal combinations have the problem of unequal weight distribution; therefore, the rider is only presented with one side of the pedal to engage with. Lastly, riders typically enjoy the benefits of their clipless pedals and may not wish to have a permanent platform adapter attached to their bicycles.